Corner brace for window screens



April 5, 1932.

5].}. WEITZEL CORNER BRAGE FOR WINDOW SCREENS Filed J-un 2a, 1931 INVENTOR fpw/miod WE/TZEL BY I ATTORNEY Patented. APR 1932;

, UNITED STATES PATENT OFF-ICE; I

EDWARD; WEITZEL, OEBROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNO To ROLLING SCREENS, INQ,

OFlBROOKLYN,. NEW YORK, .A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK. f l CORNERVIBBACE FOR WINDOW'SGREENS Application filed June 26,1931. Serial No. 546,940.

d The invention relates to metal frames for window and door screens, and more particularlyto corner braces of the tubular type of frames and utilized for connecting the frame 5 elements together. The invention has for an object to so secure the said frame-elements together atthe corners as to afford a rigid jointthereat and,

' also, in such a manner that no soldering, brazingor welding is required in the assembly.

'A further object of the invention resides in a'=right-angled corner brace member having arms adapted to receive and lock thereto, the frame elements, the said brace member, beingprovided, also, with means to look therein the screen'spline, and the novel arrangement assuring, moreover, strength and rigidity to the corners of'the frame. Another object of the invention resides in the provision of fingers or tongues extending from the brace member and adapted to spread the ends of a fastening spline for the screen, and prevent also the tubular frame fromspreading at the ends and tending to get out of shape when forced over the arms of the brace member. 7

It has been the general practice in the construction of metallic tubular screen frames to solder, braze or weld the corners thereof to the frameelements, and it is found that the use of acid and chemicals in such soldering and brazing operations tends torust or corrode the inside of the tubular frame elements, especially at said corners. This causes the framesto be relatively weak'and frail at this particular portion and consequently frames thus constructed do not retain shape when in use. 7

By means of the novel corner brace hereintheir original rigid corner construction is attained having the frame elements positively held thereto Without any soldering, brazing or welding thereof. p

The nature of the invention, however, will best be understood when described in connection withthe accompanying drawings, in which:

Figs. 1 and 2 are perspective views of the,

'novel corner brace adapted to receive the corafter more fully described, a particularly responding frame elements I for attachment thereto.

Fig. 3 is an end elevation thereof 7 Fig. 4 is a fragmentary front elevation of a corner of a metal'screen'with its frame elernentssecured by the novel corner brace.

Fig. 5 is a'fragmentary transverse section taken on the line 55, Fig. 4:.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates the body portion of a corner brace member having divergingtherefrom the arms 11 and 12 which are integral, therewith and located to, extend atzright angles to each other.v

These arms are adapted to receive, respectively, the'corresponding frame elements or hollowrails-l3 and 14 which are in the nature of a rectangular tube, Fig. 5, formed preferably from asingle piece of metal. and pro-' vided alongan inner edge with a channel 15.

The edgesof the screen cloth 16 are deflected into this channel and retained therein by socalled molding strips or splines 17 all of which is more particularly set forth in U.,S."' Letters Patent N 0. 1,732,628. As stated, the arms 11 and 12 are designed to enter the ends of: corresponding horizontal and vertical.

rails; and said arms are reduced in size'or depressed slightly below the surface of the body portion-to provide shoulders 18 and 19 affording abutments for limiting the inward position of a rail on its arm.

In (order to secure a rail fixedly'to its arm,

the latter may be provided along its outer edge withkdepressions 20 which are formed in cross-pieces or'studs 21 of the more or less channel-shaped arms, and the top of a rail is correspondingly-forced or drawninto the said depressions to form tubular studs 22 which will serve to lock a rail thereby see curely and rigidly'to an arm, the two rails being thus held in squared relationship to each other. No soldering, brazing or welding is required in thus securing a rail'to the corner member, the ends of the rail abutting the respective shoulders 18 and 19 andthe top of the rail lying substantially flush with the body portion 10, as'indicated in Fig. 4.

Depressions 23 and 24 may be provided in the top and side respectively of the body portion in which identification numbers may be stamped and which will be hidden when the screen is in use and thus will not disfigure the face of the screen.

In accordance with the invention, a pair of fingers 30 and 31 displaced from the cor responding arms are arranged to extend a short distance from the inner corner of the body portion and substantially parallel to the respective arms 11 and 12. These fingers, furthermore, are designed to enter the channel 15 of a rail to spread the fastening ends of the holding spline when the same is inserted in place to secure the wire screen to the frame. This affords, also, a better se curing of the screen at the immediate corner than in constructions where the fastening spline is left the same width throughout its entire length.

The said fingers, furthermore, assure absolute alignment of a rail at the adj acentends of each pair of the rails to produce always a smooth and flat surface at this point, as well as affording a reinforcement for the spline channel and support for the ends of a fastening spline.

\Vhen placing a rail over an arm 11 or 12, the bottom wall of the tubular rail will enga 'e with the corresponding edge of a finger and prevent the tube from spreading at its ends so that a smooth and finished appearance of the corner connection is attained. Moreover, the inner edge of the lower wall of a channel is intended to abut a corresponding wall of a right-angled projection 32 formed at the inner corner of the two fingers for the cooperating rails and present a finished appearance of said rails by thus securing an edge fit therebetween.

I claim:

1. In a screen frame construction: a pair of tubular rails, a metal corner brace member comprising a body portion having two arms extending therefrom at right angles to each other to receive respectively said tubular rails, the said tubular rails being provided with inner channels for securing therein screen material, and two fingers displaced from the respective arms extending outward- 1y from the inner corner of the body portion substantially parallel to the said arms and adapted to fit within the channels of the respective rails when the arms are inserted in the endsof the tubular rails.

2. In a screen frame construction: a pair of tubular rails, a metal corner brace member comprising a body portion having two arms extending therefrom at right angles to each other and de ressed slightly below the surface of the bocy portion to afford abutment shoulders respectively for the ends of said tubular rails, the said tubular rails being provided with inner channels for securing therein screen material, and two fingers displaced from the respective arms extending outwardly from the inner corner of the body portion substantially parallel to the said arms and adapted to fit within the channels of the respective rails when the arms are inserted in the ends of the tubular rails.

3. In a screen frame construction: a pair of tubular rails, a metal corner brace member comprising a body portion having two arms extending therefrom at right angles to each other to receive respectively said tubular rails, the said tubular rails being provided with inner channels for securing therein screen material, two fingers displaced from the respective arms extending outwardly from the inner corner of the body portion substantially parallel to the said arms and adapted to fit within the channels of the respective rails when the arms are inserted in the ends of the tubular rails, and a rightangled projection at the inner corner of the fingers affording a stop for the inner ends of the lower wall of the channels.

4. In a screen frame construction: a pair of tubular rails, a metal corner brace member comprising a body portion having two arms extending therefrom at right angles to each other to receive respectively said tubular rails, the said tubular rails being provided with inner channels for securing therein screen material, and the outer edges of the arms being provided with looking depressions to receive projections of the rails.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

EDWARD J. WEITZEL. 

